My Weight Loss Journey #2
Just over two months ago, I had a lower back injury (lumbar strain) from doing cardio intervals on the treadmill. I had been doing cardio for a while and decided it was time to up the amount of times I was running on the treadmill so I started doing intervals of running for one minute then walking for one minute. After doing this for a couple of weeks, I noticed that my lower back was getting a bit sore so I lessened the amount of times per week that I was doing my cardio intervals and started doing lower impact cardio as well as the stairs at the gym to supplement my higher impact cardio until my back was feeling better.
About a week or so into changing up my cardio to a lower impact routine due to my lower back pain, I was at the grocery store doing some shopping when I bent down to pick something up off the bottom shelf when I felt an extremely painful shooting pain going up my spine and into my sciatica. I immediately had to leave the store, and in tears struggled to get into my car because of the extremely amount of pain that was effecting my lower back. I could barely sit without being in horrible pain and I didn't even think about bending over or twisting my body in any way. The only relief I felt was standing up or laying down on my back.
As soon as I could I went to see my primary care doctor who told me to that I had a lumbar strain and that I should put some heat on it as well as taking some pain medication to subside the pain until it went away on its own. I was also given some at home exercises to try to loosen up the muscles that were tight due to the strain. Unfortunately, this didn't help the situation as much as I would have liked. Over the last two months, I have still had lower back pain although the sharp pain went away so I had normal movement back but I still had dull pains all the time so I couldn't do much intense exercise like I wanted to.
Fast forward to yesterday while I was at work, I bent over to grab something off of the floor that I had dropped off my desk, and I had the same shooting pain that I had at the grocery store going up my spine and into my sciatica. I work at a doctor's office so I immediately clocked out and went to see one of the doctor's where I was told that I again had strained my lower back (lumbar strain). I am now taking a steroid to try to repair my back as soon as possible as well as I just started physical therapy today in the hopes that this will once and for all heal my back from this injury so I can get back to my workout routine.
This whole experience has been very disheartening because nothing is worse than wanting to reach a fitness or health goal and then injuring yourself which puts a pause on the whole situation. I am hoping beyond hope that the medication as well as the physical therapy will help me to get back into good enough shape to start my regular exercise. I will keep you updated on my progress as well as the exercises that I am going to be doing that is prescribed by my physical therapist. If anyone has dealt with any kind of injury during a fitness journey before, you will know how hard and discouraging it can be on you. Prayers for a fast recovery are appreciated and I will pray for those who are also suffering from any time of injury.
God Bless!
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Personal Development Tip
Personal Development Tip
After listening to a podcast by Chalene Johnson (The Chalene Show which can be found on iTunes for FREE so make sure you check her out!), she was discussing the thought of focusing on one area of personal development at a time.
The analogy that Chalene used to promote the theory of focusing on one area at a time was this: when you try to do small tasks in all areas of personal development (i.e. health, faith, finances, relationships, career, etc.) you get a little amount done while using a lot of energy in the process. This is much like cleaning small areas of each room through out the house before having people over. When the people come over to your house, it would still look like you didn't really clean up because only small areas were cleaned so the house as a whole is still messy. The house is much like your life when you try to focus on too many areas of your life in personal development.
Instead of spreading yourself thin by trying to improve all your life's areas at one time, pick an area that needs the most work in this time in your life. Chalene likes to refer to this as "the priority in this season in your life." What is the area that you need to focus on right now? Put your energy into that area until you are satisfied with your improvement then move on to the next area that needs the most work.
Let me know if you would like me to go into more depth about what you can do to achieve your goals by liking this post, or let me know what you would like to see next.
Photo by: the_real_houses_of_ig
After listening to a podcast by Chalene Johnson (The Chalene Show which can be found on iTunes for FREE so make sure you check her out!), she was discussing the thought of focusing on one area of personal development at a time.
The analogy that Chalene used to promote the theory of focusing on one area at a time was this: when you try to do small tasks in all areas of personal development (i.e. health, faith, finances, relationships, career, etc.) you get a little amount done while using a lot of energy in the process. This is much like cleaning small areas of each room through out the house before having people over. When the people come over to your house, it would still look like you didn't really clean up because only small areas were cleaned so the house as a whole is still messy. The house is much like your life when you try to focus on too many areas of your life in personal development.
Instead of spreading yourself thin by trying to improve all your life's areas at one time, pick an area that needs the most work in this time in your life. Chalene likes to refer to this as "the priority in this season in your life." What is the area that you need to focus on right now? Put your energy into that area until you are satisfied with your improvement then move on to the next area that needs the most work.
Let me know if you would like me to go into more depth about what you can do to achieve your goals by liking this post, or let me know what you would like to see next.
Photo by: the_real_houses_of_ig
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
My Weight Loss Journey
My Weight Loss Journey
With one of my best friend's wedding looming in the beginning of 2O17 in Mexico, I decided I had some weight loss and toning up to do. Over the last eight months I have lost about thirty pounds of the seventy pounds I hoped to lose in a year's time. This was a great accomplishment thus far and I am proud with how far I have come in my weight loss journey. Aside from the fact that I have lost almost half the amount of weight I projected to lose in a year's time, my weight loss has seemed to slow down significantly since hitting about six months in, and I think I know why.
The first few months I was super dedicated to eating clean and working out constantly then I started to slip up here and there which I believe slowed down the amount of weight I was losing per week. Till this day (and over the last eight months), I have eaten pretty clean during the day for the most part including breakfast, lunch, and snacks. However in the beginning of my journey, eating clean was a lot less of a challenge and in the recent months I have found that eating healthy when I get home from work in the evening as well as on the weekends has been more of a challenge than I would like to admit. As well as, after suffering from an unfortunate lower back strain, my fitness has been less than great recently which has really made my weight loss journey suffer even more.
I am hoping from posting my weight loss journey, my ups and downs, my struggles and successes, and my real take on how it feels to try to become a healthier version of myself failures and all, that this will help me to meet my goals as well as, helping anyone else who is struggling to become a healthier or better version of themselves. And just maybe we can share tips, tricks, and support for each other along the way. This is all about keeping myself accountable to my actions and keeping things real because when it comes down to it, this has to be a lifestyle. Fads don't last and results are best attained when you are kept accountable so here is my first step in trying to create a better and more healthy life for myself.
God bless!
With one of my best friend's wedding looming in the beginning of 2O17 in Mexico, I decided I had some weight loss and toning up to do. Over the last eight months I have lost about thirty pounds of the seventy pounds I hoped to lose in a year's time. This was a great accomplishment thus far and I am proud with how far I have come in my weight loss journey. Aside from the fact that I have lost almost half the amount of weight I projected to lose in a year's time, my weight loss has seemed to slow down significantly since hitting about six months in, and I think I know why.
The first few months I was super dedicated to eating clean and working out constantly then I started to slip up here and there which I believe slowed down the amount of weight I was losing per week. Till this day (and over the last eight months), I have eaten pretty clean during the day for the most part including breakfast, lunch, and snacks. However in the beginning of my journey, eating clean was a lot less of a challenge and in the recent months I have found that eating healthy when I get home from work in the evening as well as on the weekends has been more of a challenge than I would like to admit. As well as, after suffering from an unfortunate lower back strain, my fitness has been less than great recently which has really made my weight loss journey suffer even more.
I am hoping from posting my weight loss journey, my ups and downs, my struggles and successes, and my real take on how it feels to try to become a healthier version of myself failures and all, that this will help me to meet my goals as well as, helping anyone else who is struggling to become a healthier or better version of themselves. And just maybe we can share tips, tricks, and support for each other along the way. This is all about keeping myself accountable to my actions and keeping things real because when it comes down to it, this has to be a lifestyle. Fads don't last and results are best attained when you are kept accountable so here is my first step in trying to create a better and more healthy life for myself.
God bless!
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Fall Nail Polish Colors
Fall Nail Polish Colors
One of my favorite things I love to do to treat myself throughout the month is getting my nails done. It feels so good to look down at your hands and feet and see a beautiful colored polish. Wearing nail polish on your fingers and toes helps to make you look more put together and polished which is always a great thing.
Along with treating myself to the nail salon a couple time a month, my other favorite thing right now is FALL! Fall is by far my favorite season of the year. Nothing is more beautiful than the changing colors of the trees and plants. Fall truly makes me feel blessed to live in a place where natural beauty like the leaves changing on the trees can be admired for a couple months.
Putting my two obsessions (getting my nails done and the beautiful fall season), I decided to pull some of my favorite nail polishes from my extensive collection to share with you what my top fall choices are. Note: Some of these colors may be sold out or limited edition, however, with all of the nail polish brands and choices out there, it won't be hard to find a dupe if it's not available anymore.
Ravishing Red's
- OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress (cool red with shimmer)
- OPI Go with the Lava Flow (red-coral with gold shimmer)
- OPI First Date at the Golden Gate (brick red)
- Orly Red Flare (true red)
- L'Oreal He Read My Mind (true red with gold shimmer)
Rocking Rose's
- Sally Hansen So Much Fawn (light dusty rose)
- Sally Hansen Scarlet Lacquer (bright rose)
- China Glaze Sex on the Beach (light dusty rose with gold shimmer)
Popping Purple's
- OPI Suzi & the 7 Dusseldorfs (warm purple with shimmer)
- Sally Hansen Pat on the Black (deep purple)
- L'Oreal Violet Vixen (violet purple)
- L'Oreal Breaking Curfew (black purple)
Beautiful Blue's
- OPI Into the Night (true blue with shimmer)
- L'Oreal After Hours (deep blue)
Gorgeous Green's
- OPI Amazon... Amazoff (emerald green)
Outstanding Orange's
- OPI In My Back Pocket (bright orange)
Glamorous Grey's
- Sally Hansen Commander in Chic (taupe grey)
All Photos by Becky Schutten
One of my favorite things I love to do to treat myself throughout the month is getting my nails done. It feels so good to look down at your hands and feet and see a beautiful colored polish. Wearing nail polish on your fingers and toes helps to make you look more put together and polished which is always a great thing.
Along with treating myself to the nail salon a couple time a month, my other favorite thing right now is FALL! Fall is by far my favorite season of the year. Nothing is more beautiful than the changing colors of the trees and plants. Fall truly makes me feel blessed to live in a place where natural beauty like the leaves changing on the trees can be admired for a couple months.
Putting my two obsessions (getting my nails done and the beautiful fall season), I decided to pull some of my favorite nail polishes from my extensive collection to share with you what my top fall choices are. Note: Some of these colors may be sold out or limited edition, however, with all of the nail polish brands and choices out there, it won't be hard to find a dupe if it's not available anymore.
Ravishing Red's
- OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress (cool red with shimmer)
- OPI Go with the Lava Flow (red-coral with gold shimmer)
- OPI First Date at the Golden Gate (brick red)
- Orly Red Flare (true red)
- L'Oreal He Read My Mind (true red with gold shimmer)
Rocking Rose's
- Sally Hansen So Much Fawn (light dusty rose)
- Sally Hansen Scarlet Lacquer (bright rose)
- China Glaze Sex on the Beach (light dusty rose with gold shimmer)
Popping Purple's
- OPI Suzi & the 7 Dusseldorfs (warm purple with shimmer)
- Sally Hansen Pat on the Black (deep purple)
- L'Oreal Violet Vixen (violet purple)
- L'Oreal Breaking Curfew (black purple)
Beautiful Blue's
- OPI Into the Night (true blue with shimmer)
- L'Oreal After Hours (deep blue)
Gorgeous Green's
- OPI Amazon... Amazoff (emerald green)
Outstanding Orange's
- OPI In My Back Pocket (bright orange)
Glamorous Grey's
- Sally Hansen Commander in Chic (taupe grey)
All Photos by Becky Schutten
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Sephora Face Mask Review
Sephora Face Mask Review
Sephora Green Tea Face Mask
Price: $6.00
Where you can buy this: Sephora stores, Sephora.com
On my exciting Saturday night yesterday, instead of going out like most people to celebrate Halloween, I decided to stay in with my family, watch the Cubs games, and try out one of Sephora's popular face masks. I have been having some trouble with my skin lately. Feeling blemishes under my skin that had not come to the surface yet, and unwanted texture that I couldn't seem to get rid of.
After looking thru my skin care drawer, I stumbled upon Sephora's Green Tea Mask, which is said to help mattify the skin as well as help with anti-blemish agents in it. My skin is mostly dry with slight oil in the t-zone area, so I wasn't to concerned about the mattifying effects that it could provide. However, I was optimistic about the anti-blemish aspect in the hopes that it would help to pull some of the blemishes that were stuck under my skin and illuminate the undesired texture I was experiencing.
According to the Sephora website, the Green Tea Mask is supposed to "mattify and purify to soothe skin while minimizing shine and reducing the appearance of outbreaks." This mask is a sheet mask which is a mask that is a sheet of fabric with the solution soaked into the sheet with cut outs for your eyes, nostrils, and mouth. I usually leave sheet masks on for about 15-30 minutes depending on the type of mask and how my skin is feeling throughout the experience. I left this mask on for about 20-25 minutes. After removing the mask, I washed my face with my usual face wash and applied my night time moisturizer and face oil.
Directly after removing the face mask, my skin instantly feel smooth and soft to the touch and did not feel dried out or dehydrated due to the mattifying properties in the mask. In fact, my face didn't really look matte at all. This morning when I woke up, I checked my face in the mirror and a lot of the blemishes had surfaced and appeared smaller than the night before to my pleasant surprise. As well as, the skin on my face was still soft and smooth to the touch.
All in all, I would definitely recommend the Sephora Green Tea Face Mask for someone who is looking to pull-out and reduce the appearance of their blemishes as well as, helping smooth out the texture of their skin. If you are looking for a mask that is going to reduce oil, I am not sure that I saw such a big difference even in my more oily areas in my t-zone.
All Photos by Becky Schutten
Sephora Green Tea Face Mask
Price: $6.00
Where you can buy this: Sephora stores, Sephora.com
On my exciting Saturday night yesterday, instead of going out like most people to celebrate Halloween, I decided to stay in with my family, watch the Cubs games, and try out one of Sephora's popular face masks. I have been having some trouble with my skin lately. Feeling blemishes under my skin that had not come to the surface yet, and unwanted texture that I couldn't seem to get rid of.
After looking thru my skin care drawer, I stumbled upon Sephora's Green Tea Mask, which is said to help mattify the skin as well as help with anti-blemish agents in it. My skin is mostly dry with slight oil in the t-zone area, so I wasn't to concerned about the mattifying effects that it could provide. However, I was optimistic about the anti-blemish aspect in the hopes that it would help to pull some of the blemishes that were stuck under my skin and illuminate the undesired texture I was experiencing.
According to the Sephora website, the Green Tea Mask is supposed to "mattify and purify to soothe skin while minimizing shine and reducing the appearance of outbreaks." This mask is a sheet mask which is a mask that is a sheet of fabric with the solution soaked into the sheet with cut outs for your eyes, nostrils, and mouth. I usually leave sheet masks on for about 15-30 minutes depending on the type of mask and how my skin is feeling throughout the experience. I left this mask on for about 20-25 minutes. After removing the mask, I washed my face with my usual face wash and applied my night time moisturizer and face oil.
Directly after removing the face mask, my skin instantly feel smooth and soft to the touch and did not feel dried out or dehydrated due to the mattifying properties in the mask. In fact, my face didn't really look matte at all. This morning when I woke up, I checked my face in the mirror and a lot of the blemishes had surfaced and appeared smaller than the night before to my pleasant surprise. As well as, the skin on my face was still soft and smooth to the touch.
All in all, I would definitely recommend the Sephora Green Tea Face Mask for someone who is looking to pull-out and reduce the appearance of their blemishes as well as, helping smooth out the texture of their skin. If you are looking for a mask that is going to reduce oil, I am not sure that I saw such a big difference even in my more oily areas in my t-zone.
All Photos by Becky Schutten
Saturday, July 30, 2016
"The Manizer Sisters" Palette Review
"The Manizer Sisters" Palette Review
It is no secret that beauty lovers around the world love the Balm Cosmetics luminizing products. We all know (or if you don't know) that three of the most requested products from the Balm are Mary-Lou Manizer, Cindy-Lou Manizer, and Betty-Lou Manizer. Mary, Cindy, and Betty are three gorgeous highlighters that range from light, medium, and dark for all different skin tones. These illuminators are sold individually but as I recently discovered (where have I been???), they are also available in a trio. The amount of product that you get in the Manizer trio is less than you would if you bought them all separately, but I think its well worth it if you want to try all three of them like I did.
The Balm created beautiful and silky highlights that are just enough pigment to pack a punch on your cheeks without making you look like a disco ball. These illuminators are so creamy and smooth that they are super easy to apply and blend out in the skin. The other great thing about these products are that they are buildable. When you purchase some highlighters, you either get a very natural looking glow or you are so illuminated that you can be seen from space. With the Manizer Sisters, you can achieve both looks depending on your preference. Applying the highlighter lightly or with a fluffy brush, you can get a slight sheen that looks like you are glowing from within. On the other hand, if you are looking for a more intense highlight, you can apply the product with a more heavy hand or use a more dense brush.
The first illuminator in the palette is Mary-Lou Manizer. This highlight is a light champagne beige color. It has a beautiful pearl like texture when applied to the skin. This is a stunning highlight for people who have fair to medium skin tones. This color would not work as well on darker skin tones however.
The second illuminator in the palette is Cindy-Lou Manizer. This highlight is a light dusty rose color. This highlight also has a pearl like texture when it is applied to the skin. This highlight is great for people who have medium to darker skin tones. It shows up on the skin as a beautiful pinky colored highlight. However, if you have more fair skin, this would be more of a blush topper than a highlight due to it being more of a rosy tone. I have worn this on top of a matte blush or just on its own on my cheeks instead of a blush and it is absolutely gorgeous!
The third and last highlight in this palette is Betty-Lou Manizer. This highlight is a golden bronze color. Like the first two highlighters, this product has a pearl like texture when applied to the skin. This illuminator is perfect for those who have a darker skin tone. This would not work as a highlighters for people who have fair to medium skin, but it looks gorgeous on a darker skinned person. (This is a great product because there is not a lot of highlighters out there for people who are on the darker side of the spectrum, so this would also be a great product to add to a makeup artist's kit because it has a color for everyone!) This illuminator can also be used as a glowing bronzer for people who have fair to medium skin tones.
The Balm Cosmetics "The Manizer Sisters" Palette
Price: $15.99 - $30.00
Where you can buy it: thebalm.com and select beauty supply stores
All photos by Becky Schutten.
It is no secret that beauty lovers around the world love the Balm Cosmetics luminizing products. We all know (or if you don't know) that three of the most requested products from the Balm are Mary-Lou Manizer, Cindy-Lou Manizer, and Betty-Lou Manizer. Mary, Cindy, and Betty are three gorgeous highlighters that range from light, medium, and dark for all different skin tones. These illuminators are sold individually but as I recently discovered (where have I been???), they are also available in a trio. The amount of product that you get in the Manizer trio is less than you would if you bought them all separately, but I think its well worth it if you want to try all three of them like I did.
The Balm created beautiful and silky highlights that are just enough pigment to pack a punch on your cheeks without making you look like a disco ball. These illuminators are so creamy and smooth that they are super easy to apply and blend out in the skin. The other great thing about these products are that they are buildable. When you purchase some highlighters, you either get a very natural looking glow or you are so illuminated that you can be seen from space. With the Manizer Sisters, you can achieve both looks depending on your preference. Applying the highlighter lightly or with a fluffy brush, you can get a slight sheen that looks like you are glowing from within. On the other hand, if you are looking for a more intense highlight, you can apply the product with a more heavy hand or use a more dense brush.
The first illuminator in the palette is Mary-Lou Manizer. This highlight is a light champagne beige color. It has a beautiful pearl like texture when applied to the skin. This is a stunning highlight for people who have fair to medium skin tones. This color would not work as well on darker skin tones however.
The second illuminator in the palette is Cindy-Lou Manizer. This highlight is a light dusty rose color. This highlight also has a pearl like texture when it is applied to the skin. This highlight is great for people who have medium to darker skin tones. It shows up on the skin as a beautiful pinky colored highlight. However, if you have more fair skin, this would be more of a blush topper than a highlight due to it being more of a rosy tone. I have worn this on top of a matte blush or just on its own on my cheeks instead of a blush and it is absolutely gorgeous!
The third and last highlight in this palette is Betty-Lou Manizer. This highlight is a golden bronze color. Like the first two highlighters, this product has a pearl like texture when applied to the skin. This illuminator is perfect for those who have a darker skin tone. This would not work as a highlighters for people who have fair to medium skin, but it looks gorgeous on a darker skinned person. (This is a great product because there is not a lot of highlighters out there for people who are on the darker side of the spectrum, so this would also be a great product to add to a makeup artist's kit because it has a color for everyone!) This illuminator can also be used as a glowing bronzer for people who have fair to medium skin tones.
The Balm Cosmetics "The Manizer Sisters" Palette
Price: $15.99 - $30.00
Where you can buy it: thebalm.com and select beauty supply stores
All photos by Becky Schutten.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Daily Moisturizer Guide
My Guide to Your Daily Moisturizers
Taking care of your skin is one of the most important things you can do in your beauty routine, and equally as important is adding a great moisturizer to your skincare routine. Some people are hesitant to adding a moisturizer to their regiment because they have oily skin or they don't like the feeling of a thick moisturizer on their skin, etc. However, in the beauty industry today, there are moisturizers for everyone with every different skin type and skin concerns. You just have to find the one that works best for you!
Winter/Heavy Moisturizers
Depending on where you live or what climate you are in, the cold or dry weather can take a big toll on your skin. The cold and dry weather can really strip your skin of its natural oils or dehydrate it to the point of making it look dull and unhealthy. When this happens (or more importantly before this happens), you want to make sure that you add a moisturizer that can combat the effects of your environment. When it comes to a more harsh climate, you want to add a moisturizer that is going to pack more of a punch when it comes to the hydration department regardless of your skin type.
For people with normal to dry skin, it is a great option to go with a moisturizer that is on the thicker side of the spectrum but still soaks into your skin quickly so that you can apply a flawless makeup application without causing any disruption. This is an awesome combination because you would be getting the hydration that you need yet it wouldn't sit on top of the skin which I know some people hate the feeling of.
When it comes to people with oily to combination skin, a great option to go with is a moisturizer that is a little heavier than a light weight moisturizer but doesn't create any oily residue that is left on the skin. A huge misconception regarding people with oily to combination skin is that they shouldn't use a moisturizer because that it going to make them more oily or that it's going to make them look more oily. However, it's actually the opposite that ends up happening. When someone who's skin overproduces oil puts a moisturizer on their skin, it reduces the amount of oil that the skin is going to naturally produce. This happens because the skin does not have to overcompensate when producing oil because you are adding hydration to the skin. Even if your skin tends to be oily, it can still become dehydrated in the dry or cold weather so by using a moisturizer that adds more moisture than usual, you can reverse the effects of your skin producing too much oil.
First Aid Beauty Ulta Repair Cream
Price: $30.00
Where you can buy it: Sephora, Ulta, firstaidbeauty.com
Summer/Light Moisturizers
When it comes to the summer months or just plain hot and humid weather, it's a good idea to lighten up on the thickness of the moisturizer that you are using. Regardless on whether you have dry, normal, oily, or combination skin, you can find a moisturizer that is light weight yet hydrating at the same time. When the weather is hot and sticky the last thing that you want is for your moisturizer to be heavy and make you feel even more hot than you already are. A great alternative in this situation is to use a gel (or light weight) moisturize. Gel moisturizers are an awesome option because they can still be very moisturizing but they absorb into the skin very quickly. Even better, gel moisturizers are almost undetectable on the skin when it comes to how heavy they feel. This is great for people who hate the feeling of moisturizer just sitting on their face like an extra layer since you can barely feel it after it has absorbs. The gel formula is good for all skin types during the day even if you have dry skin because you can add your extra moisture with a night cream.
Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer
Price: $27.50
Where you can buy it: Sephora, Macy's, Nordstrom
Overnight/Night Creams
Your overnight moisturizer or night cream is probably the most important moisturizer that you use in your skincare routine. Why? It's so important because when you are sleeping your skin is restoring and rejuvenating itself like the rest of your body. This is why picking an amazing night cream should be a top priority. There are a ton of great overnight moisturizers that can work for all skin types. When looking for a night cream, you want to make sure that it has repairing or rejuvenating ingredients in it. Like I said before since the nighttime is the time of day that your skin is restoring itself, you want your moisturizer to work the best it can for you while you are catching some zzz's. Usually repairing or restoring overnight creams are going to be on the thicker side of the spectrum but that's okay because no matter your skin type, this is the time to pack on the hydration since you will be waking up and washing your face in the morning anyway. You don't have to worry about looking a little dewy when you are sleeping.
Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins
Price: $43.00
Where you can buy it: Sephora, Macy's, Nordstrom
Remember that moisturizing your skin (no matter what your skin type) is very important! Feel free to ask from samples of moisturizers at beauty counters at your local department stores. There is no harm in testing out and sampling skincare products.
All photos are by Becky Schutten.
Taking care of your skin is one of the most important things you can do in your beauty routine, and equally as important is adding a great moisturizer to your skincare routine. Some people are hesitant to adding a moisturizer to their regiment because they have oily skin or they don't like the feeling of a thick moisturizer on their skin, etc. However, in the beauty industry today, there are moisturizers for everyone with every different skin type and skin concerns. You just have to find the one that works best for you!
Winter/Heavy Moisturizers
Depending on where you live or what climate you are in, the cold or dry weather can take a big toll on your skin. The cold and dry weather can really strip your skin of its natural oils or dehydrate it to the point of making it look dull and unhealthy. When this happens (or more importantly before this happens), you want to make sure that you add a moisturizer that can combat the effects of your environment. When it comes to a more harsh climate, you want to add a moisturizer that is going to pack more of a punch when it comes to the hydration department regardless of your skin type.
For people with normal to dry skin, it is a great option to go with a moisturizer that is on the thicker side of the spectrum but still soaks into your skin quickly so that you can apply a flawless makeup application without causing any disruption. This is an awesome combination because you would be getting the hydration that you need yet it wouldn't sit on top of the skin which I know some people hate the feeling of.
When it comes to people with oily to combination skin, a great option to go with is a moisturizer that is a little heavier than a light weight moisturizer but doesn't create any oily residue that is left on the skin. A huge misconception regarding people with oily to combination skin is that they shouldn't use a moisturizer because that it going to make them more oily or that it's going to make them look more oily. However, it's actually the opposite that ends up happening. When someone who's skin overproduces oil puts a moisturizer on their skin, it reduces the amount of oil that the skin is going to naturally produce. This happens because the skin does not have to overcompensate when producing oil because you are adding hydration to the skin. Even if your skin tends to be oily, it can still become dehydrated in the dry or cold weather so by using a moisturizer that adds more moisture than usual, you can reverse the effects of your skin producing too much oil.
First Aid Beauty Ulta Repair Cream
Price: $30.00
Where you can buy it: Sephora, Ulta, firstaidbeauty.com
Summer/Light Moisturizers
When it comes to the summer months or just plain hot and humid weather, it's a good idea to lighten up on the thickness of the moisturizer that you are using. Regardless on whether you have dry, normal, oily, or combination skin, you can find a moisturizer that is light weight yet hydrating at the same time. When the weather is hot and sticky the last thing that you want is for your moisturizer to be heavy and make you feel even more hot than you already are. A great alternative in this situation is to use a gel (or light weight) moisturize. Gel moisturizers are an awesome option because they can still be very moisturizing but they absorb into the skin very quickly. Even better, gel moisturizers are almost undetectable on the skin when it comes to how heavy they feel. This is great for people who hate the feeling of moisturizer just sitting on their face like an extra layer since you can barely feel it after it has absorbs. The gel formula is good for all skin types during the day even if you have dry skin because you can add your extra moisture with a night cream.
Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer
Price: $27.50
Where you can buy it: Sephora, Macy's, Nordstrom
Overnight/Night Creams
Your overnight moisturizer or night cream is probably the most important moisturizer that you use in your skincare routine. Why? It's so important because when you are sleeping your skin is restoring and rejuvenating itself like the rest of your body. This is why picking an amazing night cream should be a top priority. There are a ton of great overnight moisturizers that can work for all skin types. When looking for a night cream, you want to make sure that it has repairing or rejuvenating ingredients in it. Like I said before since the nighttime is the time of day that your skin is restoring itself, you want your moisturizer to work the best it can for you while you are catching some zzz's. Usually repairing or restoring overnight creams are going to be on the thicker side of the spectrum but that's okay because no matter your skin type, this is the time to pack on the hydration since you will be waking up and washing your face in the morning anyway. You don't have to worry about looking a little dewy when you are sleeping.
Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins
Price: $43.00
Where you can buy it: Sephora, Macy's, Nordstrom
Remember that moisturizing your skin (no matter what your skin type) is very important! Feel free to ask from samples of moisturizers at beauty counters at your local department stores. There is no harm in testing out and sampling skincare products.
All photos are by Becky Schutten.
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